At what time do you get up?

[schnell]

Hey there! I just decided that I would like to get up earlier and have some time for myself, exercise and relaxing. And maybe get some stuff done. So I had this idea of getting up with sunrise what should be very close to human nature. What do you think? Do you get up with or before sunrise and have found any benefits with that?

[mostlyeels]

I was a night owl all my life, until a couple of years ago when I started running in the mornings.  I love the feeling of running around 5am when the streets are quiet and the air is still cool, and most people aren't up yet.  I find when I sleep in I really miss the early hour feeling, of watching the sun come up and life coming onto the street.  Also, I find it's a really productive time of the day for me to be doing non-work things (after a coffee!), and also it gives me less excuses: after work I just want to relax and unwind.  And it means I waste less time watching TV, so that's a bonus.

[TN_Steve]

I am a night owl, but hate traffic.  Get up at 540, sleepwalk to car, sleepdrive to office.  No way I'd work out!

[AmbitiousCanuck]

5:30, every day, week days and week ends!  I dislike in winter when it is still dark when I wake up, but in the summer it is better.  For a few months of the year it lines up where I wake to the sunrise, and that is a really nice way to start the day.

[schnell]

I'm even considering to wake up just depending on sun rise. At my last job we had key working hours so it would not have been a problem to get to work at 7 am in summer and 9 am in winter.

I' don't know but wouldn't have that some health benefits since you live with the human nature or something?

[caliq]

I was a night owl all my life, until a couple of years ago when I started running in the mornings.  I love the feeling of running around 5am when the streets are quiet and the air is still cool, and most people aren't up yet.  I find when I sleep in I really miss the early hour feeling, of watching the sun come up and life coming onto the street.  Also, I find it's a really productive time of the day for me to be doing non-work things (after a coffee!), and also it gives me less excuses: after work I just want to relax and unwind.  And it means I waste less time watching TV, so that's a bonus.

This is exactly my situation.  I am naturally a night owl, but I find that if I get up with only enough time to rush getting ready and get to work/school on time, I'm not productive at all in the evenings.  I do the "just want to relax after a long day" thing too.  But if I get up early and force myself to work out, I just get tired earlier and go to bed earlier, therefore wasting less time on the internet/TV/etc.  I just started spring break (well, except I still have to work on campus so not really, but at least no classes!) and I still woke up at 7 am this morning -- a "late" morning considering I normally try to get up at 5:45-6ish.  Hopefully the relative lack of schedule over the next week doesn't mess up my sleeping pattern too much!

My absolute favorite thing, which really made me realize the benefits of getting up early, was get to the barn at 6 am and ride at least one horse before work.  On days I was feeling tough, I could go back after work and ride the same horse again, provided I hadn't done too much jumping in the morning.  Made so much progress in my riding and my horse's abilities the summer that I did that :D

[caliq]

I'm even considering to wake up just depending on sun rise. At my last job we had key working hours so it would not have been a problem to get to work at 7 am in summer and 9 am in winter.

I' don't know but wouldn't have that some health benefits since you live with the human nature or something?

My aunt has FMS and a touch of SAD.  She normally gets up with the sun, but has a really hard time in the winter when she has to wake up before sunrise in order to get to work on time.  So, she bought a light-based alarm clock, which simulates a gradual sunrise starting at a specified time every morning.  As far as I know, she doesn't even need to have a noise-based alarm clock as backup at this point, because she's so used to rising with the "sun."  She's found it does wonders for her mood and her FMS (which is triggered by stress and other such negative emotions) in the winter. 

[MLKnits]

Generally 6. In the winter I just have some relaxation time and go into work earlier, and in the warmer months I usually take a long walk (couple of hours) and go in for 9.

[AllieVaulter]

I have to be at work by 8am, so I usually get up at 7.  But on weekends, or vacations I'm more likely to wake up at 8am.  I'm more of an evening person than a morning person. 

[swick]

I'm even considering to wake up just depending on sun rise. At my last job we had key working hours so it would not have been a problem to get to work at 7 am in summer and 9 am in winter.

I' don't know but wouldn't have that some health benefits since you live with the human nature or something?

My aunt has FMS and a touch of SAD.  She normally gets up with the sun, but has a really hard time in the winter when she has to wake up before sunrise in order to get to work on time.  So, she bought a light-based alarm clock, which simulates a gradual sunrise starting at a specified time every morning.  As far as I know, she doesn't even need to have a noise-based alarm clock as backup at this point, because she's so used to rising with the "sun."  She's found it does wonders for her mood and her FMS (which is triggered by stress and other such negative emotions) in the winter.

I could have typed this, but I'll just add a +100. I'm usually up around 5:30 and the sun lamp has made it so much easier. Bought one for DH as well for a large chunk of the year he was going to work and coming home from work in the dark and spending all day inside. He is having such a remarkably different experience since getting the lamp - and due to some crappy work projects he hasn't had a day off in the last two weeks and is still holding up - he is crediting it to the lamp.

[AmbitiousCanuck]

So, she bought a light-based alarm clock, which simulates a gradual sunrise starting at a specified time every morning.  As far as I know, she doesn't even need to have a noise-based alarm clock as backup at this point, because she's so used to rising with the "sun."  She's found it does wonders for her mood and her FMS (which is triggered by stress and other such negative emotions) in the winter. 

I have one of these alarms for over a year, and I highly recommend it!  I still need a sound alarm to actually wake up, but somehow the way the alarm gradually increases the light in the room (over 30 minutes) allows me to immediately open my eyes and feel awake.  My mornings feel wonderful.  Before I bought this alarm, I was horrible in the morning, typically rolling around for 30-45 minutes, being half asleep in the shower, and then feeling like crappy until I got to work.  But no longer, now I wake up refreshed and ready to go.

[mostlyeels]

I'm even considering to wake up just depending on sun rise. At my last job we had key working hours so it would not have been a problem to get to work at 7 am in summer and 9 am in winter.

I' don't know but wouldn't have that some health benefits since you live with the human nature or something?

I wonder about this, especially when daylight saving starts!  Most days though, despite what the sun says, my head is my alarm clock and I wake up 2-3 minutes before 5am.  I can sleep in till about 6 with no problem, but if I wake up from then till about 9am I feel really tired, so I try not to do that :)

[MsPeacock]

I get up at 5:15 and have to be at work by 6:30. I don't mind going to work in the dark - and most of the year it is dark when I get to work. I like to have some daylight when I get home - so glad that we sprung forward this past week. For me having the evening light when I get home makes me feel so much better. I can walk the dog in the light, go to the park, cookout w/ my kids, and can actually see the outside of my house.

[aschmidt2930]

Up at 7:15, at work by eight. Compared to some of you I sleep half the day away!

[YK-Phil]

I'd love to wake up at sunrise in Yellowknife (62 degrees lat.), in winter, as this would mean around 10 am or later in December...but not so fun in summer when sunrise is between 3 am and 4 am in June.

[kathrynd]

No longer use an alarm clock.
Usually go to sleep 1-2 am
Always up before 9 am

[Kriegsspiel]

I get up at 5:25, because my boss wants me to be there early as fuck.

[xenon5]

I'm a total night owl.  I generally wake up at the latest hour possible!

Most weekdays this is 7-7:30am or 9-9:30am, depending on whether I'm working from home or not.  When I have to go to the airport, I get up at 6am, which feels like an ungodly time to be awake.

On the weekend I don't set an alarm.  Then I wake up anwhere between 10am-1pm.

When I've gone for long periods of time without school or work, my sleep schedule usually becomes nocturnal.  I'll go to bed at 7am and wake up at 3pm and it feels totally normal.  I hope it's something I grow out of by the time I FIRE.  It's hard to get certain things does when everyone else is sleeping!

[Mistah Cash Lion]

I wake up at 4 am on most weekdays. Crazy right?  I'm getting better with it.  It's still not easy for me, but I do like the benefits of waking up early, plus you feel like a boss being awake for hours before everyone else. My early morning schedule goes something like this:

• In bed by 10pm
• Wake up at 4 - 4:15 am
• Get dressed to work out, eat, and read the Bible 4:15am - 5am
• Bike or walk to the gym, workout, and back home 5:15am - 6:45am
• Shower, post workout meal, and pack lunch if not done the night before 7am - 7:40am
• Leave for work to arrive by 8am

[tofuchampion]

I don't get up till 2-3 in the afternoon, but I work night shift (7p-7a).

[alsoknownasDean]

Usually around 7:30am. I set my alarm (radio) for 6:45 and it gradually wakes me up (far better than the beep). By 7:30-7:45am I'm usually ready to get up. Leave home around 8:20am and arrive to work at 9am.

I used to be up at 6 for a gruelling commute, and hated it. Fixed that by moving closer to work. :)

On weekends usually around 10am :)

Usually in bed around 12-1am, but it's dependent on the season. I'm in bed earlier in winter than in summer.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

I WFH so I don't really need to set an alarm (plus my daughter is 1 and doesn't go to any sort of school so it's not like I have to get her somewhere). Usually I'm up before 7 anyways.

[Minimali]

I get up around 6.15am, work out, get ready for work and then leave for work at 7.30. It takes about 30 minutes to walk there.

At weekends I always intend on getting up at the same time. But I'll wake up, roll over for another 15mins and then read until 7.30.

[Retire-Canada]

I get up between 5am and 6am. Never use an alarm clock.

I'm often in bed by 9pm.

-- Vik

[bacchi]

I'm part-time atm. I read until ~2am and get up around 10am. Even when I was 9-5, I'd struggle to get up around 8.

[Bracken_Joy]

Fiance and I get up at 5 and 5:30 (he gets up half an hour earlier and grinds and starts the coffee... he is a wonderful, wonderful man). We're in bed 8-9pm most days. If we're feeling like crazy kids and don't have shifts over weekends, we'll stay up until 10 and get up at 7. Well, I get up at 7. He can never sleep in. Poor guy.

[5pak]

6:00 a.m.

I have no internet, cable, cell phone, or significant other, so I can easily go down with the sun if I choose to. Given that, it's early to wake for me.

[MoneyCat]

5:30 am on weekdays and 7 am on weekends.  I love sleeping in until 7 on weekends.  It feels so decadent.

[morning owl]

Usually sometime between 5 and 6am. I love early mornings... Thus my user name!

[darkadams00]

Up between 5:30-5:50am depending on the season. I ride a longer bike commute route in the warmer months whenever possible. Shower/breakfast at work, and then I take about 30 minutes to do personal Internet stuff to ease into the workday. It's a much more comforting way to start work instead of the up at 8:15, zombie-trance-walk into the office at 8:50 that many other folks in my office do. I usually bump into them at the coffee machine--my refill, their first cup.

[libertarian4321]

I wake up at 4 am on most weekdays. Crazy right?  I'm getting better with it.  It's still not easy for me, but I do like the benefits of waking up early, plus you feel like a boss being awake for hours before everyone else. My early morning schedule goes something like this:

[/li]
[li]Get dressed to work out, eat, and read the Bible 4:15am - 5am[/li]

[/b][/li]
[/list]

I understand, brother.  Spirituality is important.  I find myself setting aside time every morning to praise the one True God, the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM).  Peace be upon him.  Praise Jesus.  Ramen.

"For the FSM loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."  Learn it and live by it, people.  Time to get right with GOD!

[davisgang90]

4:40 for me.  Make coffee, pack lunch, goof off on computer, shower take middle son to the bus stop and off to work.

Get to work about 7:15.

[boarder42]

i get up around 5ish when my body wakes up ... get ready and go to work ... so i can leave early ... nothing fun to do in the morning may as well work... lots going on in the warm afternoon. 

[dcheesi]

First alarm is at 7, but I usually wake a little before that. I don't actually go into work until 9.

I am NOT a morning person; however, I've gotten in the habit of waking up relatively early anyway. I find that it's better to wake up slowly and casually, rather than expecting my half-asleep self to jump out of bed and rush around to get to work on time. Plus I don't always sleep well, so some mornings I'm up early whether I like it or not.

[Stachetastic]

Alarm goes off between 6-6:40am, depending on which office I'm working out of and which sitter my son goes to that day. I fear one of these days I'll drop my son off at the wrong place and/or show up at the wrong office.

[I'm a red panda]

I get up at 6:30, shower and am at work by 7:00.  If I woke up at sunrise, I would miss work most days during the winter and spring...

On weekends I wake up at about 7:30- but again, not to the sun, as we use blackout curtains because my husband likes to sleep late.

[MandalayVA]

I'm usually up by five a.m. because Mr. Mandalay is pounding through the place.  I try to go to bed by ten p.m..

[andy85]

Up at 5:40
Put on coffee and get my lunch together
Cook a badass breakfast (today was 3 eggs w/ground turkey, 3 slices of tomato, and a kiwi)
Get myself together
Out the door by 7:15
At work before 8

I've come to really enjoy the quiet the morning has to offer. Sleeping past 8:30 on the weekends feels like a waste of day anymore.

Side note: any good recommendations on sunrise alarm clocks? They sound interesting.

[2Birds1Stone]

5:15 on weekdays, between 6-8 AM on weekends.

[Bracken_Joy]

I love how much of a morning person thread this has become. Glad to see I'm not the only one who gets up early and putters on this forum over breakfast.

Posting times: 5:40, 5:55, 6:05, etc. Lol.

[boarder42]

obviously those times are all MT so its likely many are later posts than that in their own TZs.  but i think its awesome to just see how many people get up early and go to bed early...

Early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise.

[mm1970]

In an ideal world:
Up at 4:50 on Tues/Thurs, get ready and dressed and go to gym, wait outside at 5:15 am, opens at 5:30 am, get my lane in the pool, swim 45 minutes.  Shower, go home, breakfast, out the door at 7:15 am, work by 7:30 am.

Up at 5:30 am on MWF, get ready and dressed, pop in a workout DVD, finish by 6:30 am (or earlier, ideally before the younger child wakes up, because he won't let me work out).  Shower, etc. etc. work by 7:30.

My world is not ideal. My toddler has been waking us up often in the middle of the night. I also have insomnia. So after being up for a couple of hours - whether it's my pool day or not, I generally cannot wake up until 6:30 am, and then I am "catching up" the next night. So each night of wakeups results in two lost workouts, generally.

This morning I woke up at 6 am but toddler got up at 6:10. Still managed 10 minutes of pushups, squats and crunches before showering (hey, you take what you can!)

[NoraLenderbee]

7:30. Then I spend a while drinking coffee and waking up slowly. I am physiologically very slow to wake up fully. I do enjoy early mornings on the occasions when I wake up spontaneously early. But forcing myself to get up early doesn't work in the long term; I tend to feel crappy and tired all the time. So I have embraced my inner late bird. I start work at 9.

Get dressed to work out, eat, and read the Bible 4:15am - 5am[/b

I understand, brother.  Spirituality is important.  I find myself setting aside time every morning to praise the one True God, the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM).  Peace be upon him.  Praise Jesus.  Ramen.

Is it really necessary to mock people who mention that religion is part of their life?

[dividendman]

On weekends I get up around 8am and pretty much hop out of bed.

On weekdays I get up about an hour or two before my first meeting (so... from 5.30 to 7.30am). Then I flop around in bed dreading getting up and waste about half an hour just doing that... hence wanting to get FI.

Get dressed to work out, eat, and read the Bible 4:15am - 5am[/b

I understand, brother.  Spirituality is important.  I find myself setting aside time every morning to praise the one True God, the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM).  Peace be upon him.  Praise Jesus.  Ramen.

Is it really necessary to mock people who mention that religion is part of their life?

Nah, not necessary, but I appreciate it. Mocking silly practices seems like a good way to erode them, and even if it's not, it's pretty funny!

[GuitarStv]

I don't believe the 'human nature' argument myself.  In the winter here the sun shines for 7 hours less than in the summer . . . I've never felt a greater need to sleep in December.  Naturally my body wants to go to sleep at around 2:00 in the morning and get up around 10:00.  If I have no schedule, that's usually what I default to.

Due to my current working situation I need to be up at or before 6:00 every morning to reduce commuting time though.

[Zikoris]

6:30 and I hate it, but it's REALLY nice being finished work in the afternoon and having the entire evening free.

[asauer]

I'm a nightowl but get up at 5:15, leave the house at 6:00, office from 7-4.  Home at 5.  I have an early day so that:
1. I'm not forced to deal with actual people until I've been at work for 1 hour (good for me and them)
2. I have an extra hour to play with my kids at night.

Totally worth it.

[irishbear99]

Usually between 5 and 5:30 on the weekdays because traffic is really bad where I live. About once/month, I have to move it up to between 3 and 4 am because our HQ (6 hours ahead of us) inevitably schedules an AM meeting. On the weekends, I usually sleep in 'til 7 or 8 am. I am not a morning person and would LOVE to be able to sleep in every day.

[Jon_Snow]

For 25 years, between 4:30am and 5:00am.

Now, whenever the f*** I want!!!!

[mrshudson]

I'm part-time atm. I read until ~2am and get up around 10am. Even when I was 9-5, I'd struggle to get up around 8.

This is me - naturally sleep close to 1 AM, and without alarm wake up around 9:30-10. Job is flexible hours, which bails me out. I'm capable of waking up at 4 AM for short stints (e.g., when writing dissertation in grad school, for may be a couple of weeks). But consistently find myself falling back to the night owl circadian rhythm.